GOODFELLOW AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --
U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Justin B. Riding, 312th Training Squadron student, is the newest 17th Training Group Student of the Month Spotlight, a series highlighting Team Goodfellow students.
17th Training Wing Public Affairs: What led you to join the military?
Riding: Interestingly enough I was in the oil field and I was commuting back and forth between Utah and North Dakota. While I was driving back up to North Dakota from Utah, it was snowing quite heavily and I was going slightly faster than I should have been and I was on the I-15 freeway, spun out and rammed directly into the median. No one else got hurt and no one else hit me too which was a miracle because they were a lot of other people around. Right after that happened I was like, oh I’m joining the Air Force and that is how I decided to join the Air Force. Really, really weird.
Also a lot of [my] families been in the military, both of my sisters and a few of my brothers all were Army, either active or Reserve and guard.
What’s been the most impactful moment in your career so far?
Riding: Basic graduation. Basic was hard. I didn’t expect it to be that hard for me but when my MTI [military training instructor] spoke to me and thanked me for the service I gave to the flight. That was pretty impactful for me.
What are your hobbies?
Riding: I’m from a pretty large family so it’s generally what I do with my family, especially my little brother. I’d have to say my hobby is throwing rocks in water with my little brother. [I also like] camping, hiking, and reading.
What do you want to accomplish during your time here at Goodfellow Air Force Base?
Riding: I’d like to make an improvement to my squadron and well now that I’m only down to 6 days I hope I did.
Is there any advice or anything extra you would like to share?
Riding: There are some moments where it’s good to step back and reflect on why you joined in the first place. It helps put things in perspective.